This invention relates generally to portable color video displays and specifically to high resolution miniature wireless displays.
There are many applications where it is beneficial to have access to a computer outside of the normal office environment. For instance, soldiers in an unfamiliar environment would benefit from having an interactive color map of an area which corresponded to their immediate position. Another example would be a mechanic or technician, working on a complicated piece of equipment who would appreciate having instant access to the relevant schematics or perhaps a full motion video detailing the components and a particular procedure. Computer generated displays of this data are ideal because they allow access to a vast amount of data and allow the user to focus in on specific information with the desired level of detail. Traditional portable computer systems (such as a laptop) can certainly perform these functions; however, they are not always conducive to it.
For instance, the above-described orienteering soldier would not want to stop moving and open up a bulky laptop each time he wanted to check or confirm his position. First, doing so would stop his forward progress and take his attention away from the matter at hand. Second, the use of such a display emits a large amount of light and would effectively prevent its use during night time or covert operations.
Alternatively, smaller hand-held, task-specific devices such as a hand held GPS or palmtop computer could be used. These devices often lack the ability to perform multiple tasks, the displays are often large and cumbersome, and the entire unit (the display and the controls) must be handled for each use. Once again, this causes the operator to be distracted from the task at hand and makes storing or concealing the device more difficult.
An intermediate combination is the concept of the body worn computer. These devices allow the processor to be strapped to the body or carried in a backpack. Often the display will be tethered to the computer and positioned on or carried by another part of the body. For instance, the processor may be strapped to the back, and the display may be hand held. A wire connecting the two would run along the arm of the user. Alternatively, the processors may be connected to a head mounted display. In either case, it is easier to simply present a display, rather than incorporating an interface into the unit. In the case of the tethered display, the unit size must be increased in order to add the data transmission characteristics, thereby reducing the effectiveness of separating components. With the head mounted displays, a whole new hand operable controller must generally be added. Again this increases the size and mass of the overall unit as well as providing more wires and components, which can become entangled and interfere with the task at hand.
Various types of these head mounted displays are presently available. The most straightforward of these has a monocular arrangement which presents a continuous video stream to one eye of the user. The user is then limited to having only one eye to view his surroundings with. Alternatively, a helmet having a visor could be configured so that data is projected onto the visor and reflected into the eye. The user can then selectively focus on either the data being projected or the surrounding environment. This arrangement is bulky and is not conducive to enclosed working conditions.
The problem with these and any other head mounted displays is that data is continuously being presented to the operator. For many applications this is not only unnecessary, but it can often be very distracting. Furthermore, no matter how compact the head mounted display is made, the user is always tethered to the processing unit which is attached to some portion of his body. In addition, in order for members of a group to each be able to view such information, each member must have his own system. Therefore, there is a need to provide a small, easily portable, wireless, high resolution display that is ideally suited for quick look applications.
The present invention is a portable or body worn electronic computer display. The display is remotely coupled to a stand alone computer, either worn by the operator or located some distance from him. This configuration allows the computer to be located in a convenient location and the operator has complete mobility around it. Furthermore, if the computer is carried by the operator, such as in a backpack, the link to the display is entirely unobtrusive.
In order to deliver the video information from the computer to the remote display, the data must be converted into a transmittable format. The computer includes a data converter for formatting a video signal into a serial data stream and a transmitter for subsequently transmitting the data stream to the remote display.
The data is received by a receiver and an antenna located within the housing of the display and is subsequently converted back into a video signal.
The converted video data is then sent to a miniature electronic color display where a color sequential image is produced. The image is transmitted through a field flattening lens in order to preserve its proportions and to optically align the image with the remainder of the optical components.
The LCD color shutters are cycled to convert the white display images into three sequential red, green, and blue color images. When viewed by the human eye, these separate images are integrated into a normal color image.
The separate color images pass through a reflective prism. The prism serves to increase the focal length while maintaining an optimally sized housing. Optically, aligned with the prism is an eyepiece lens. The operator simply looks through the eyepiece lens and views the complete color composite image.
The display also incorporates a data transmitter for sending point and click type data back to the computer in order to control and manipulate the software.